Having special license plates for New York judges makes it easier to enforce courthouse parking restrictions.

But it also makes it easier for judges to avoid parking tickets and moving violations, without having to say a word themselves seeking special favors, points out the New York Daily News.

The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct noted this fact, too, in a determination (PDF) earlier this year removing a lawyer as a municipal judge.

Now the commission is seeking input, in a letter (PDF) posted on its website, as it puts together a report that will “examine and compare practices and
policies in New York and other states regarding judicial license plates” and, it appears, make a recommendation or determination about whether the state’s judges may ethically continue to use them.

Having a car that identifies the driver as a judge could also potentially created security issues for jurists, the letter notes.